Winnipeg Retail

[Biff]

Originally Posted by Jammon

does anyone know which stores are being added at the Unicity Smart! Centres? They have built two new stores and it looks like they are breaking ground for the third. Just wondering if any one knows the scoop?

Staples and Value Village are the two that are built. A third?

[RTD]

Fashion infusion looms
Pair of U.S. retailers to occupy former Polo Park Safeway space
By: Geoff Kirbyson

9/07/2010 1:00 AM | Comments: 1

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DAVID LIPNOWSKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Enlarge Image

Hidden activity is underway in the old Safeway site at Polo Park Shopping Centre.
Winnipeg fashionistas will have a pair of new retailers to shop at early next year, one from each end of the price spectrum.

Forever 21 and BCBGMAXAZRIA, a pair of California-based companies that are new to the Winnipeg market, are preparing to begin construction in the old Canada Safeway location in the Polo Park Shopping Centre.

"They're both pretty big deals. Winnipeg is going to like those stores a lot," said Rebecca McCormack, owner of Cake Clothing, an Exchange District retailer and designer.

She described Forever 21 as a "trendier version" of Le Château, while BCBG is "pretty dressy," with "Club Monaco-like prices."

McCormack said she expects BCBG to have as big an impact on Polo Park as Sephora, a France-based cosmetics retailer, has had since it opened in November.

Forever 21 targets teenage girls and the young at heart from both sexes with "fast fashion," where new shipments arrive virtually daily at its stores. The company's website features dozens of jackets, hoodies, vests, tops and tunics on sale for less than $10.

"Forever 21's business has been successful in other markets and we have decided to expand by opening a store in Winnipeg," said Larry Meyer, Forever 21's executive vice-president. "The co-tenancy in Polo Park is very good and we feel that Cadillac Fairview (which owns Polo Park) operates great malls."

Meyer said the store will encompass 38,000 square feet, making it one of the biggest in the mall when it opens in January. It will have a staff of between 55 and 60 employees.

"(We're) known for offering the hottest and most current fashion trends at a great value to consumers," Meyer said.

BCBGMAXAZRIA, which is named for the French phrase "bon chic, bon genre" -- Parisian slang meaning "good style, good attitude" -- has attracted a number of celebrity fans to its high-fashion offering in recent years, including Paris Hilton and Jessica Simpson, who have been spotted on red carpets sporting its slinky dresses, leather jackets and chiffon gowns.

John Winter, a Toronto-based retail analyst, said the two stores would be "notable" additions to the local fashion scene but, perhaps more importantly, their arrival also represents a vote of confidence in the Winnipeg market. Retailers don't expand into new areas with the idea of losing money, he said.

"We're coming out of a recession, but these are two chains that want to be in Winnipeg. Where else would you want to go if you're a clothing retailer but Polo Park? It's a no-brainer as long as you can afford the rents," he said.

Safeway moved out of the 40,000-square-foot space at the mall's east end in December 2008, when it relocated to a new store at nearby Madison Square. The space has been empty ever since, but construction workers were spotted on site this week.

Forever 21 is no stranger to large spaces. Four years ago, it opened its flagship store in Pasadena, Calif., one of its biggest outlets, at 40,000 square feet.

BCBG has 29 Canadian locations sprinkled throughout Alberta, B.C., Ontario and Quebec. Forever 21 has 10 stores in the same provinces and another 470 stores throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico, Korea and Japan.

Source: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/bre...-98094814.html

[mileena]

I'm glad to hear the rumors are now officially true about BCBG and forever 21. The Bay started selling one of BCBG's lines last year and I think it's done decently.

But wow at the size of Forever 21. Thats almost as large as the flagship. It'll do well though. As will BCBG. There are plenty of people at both of those spectrums in Winnipeg who have been waiting for this.

Interesting though because I thought BCBG would wait for The Elms. The Safeway location isn't the best location in PP.

[rgalston]

Originally Posted by RTD

Forever 21 and BCBGMAXAZRIA, a pair of California-based companies that are new to the Winnipeg market, are preparing to begin construction in the old Canada Safeway location in the Polo Park Shopping Centre.

My wife just died and went to heaven.

[1ajs]

^^^ lol to bad its at polo

[Mininari]

Question related to Polo Park Area:

Is the Mark's Work Wearhouse on St. James moving or closing up shop? Or are they rennovating? I ask because I noticed they were having a big clearance sale a day or two ago, and their signage (big letters) were off the building.

Edit:
Nevermind, it looks like they're just rebranding their stores as simply "Marks"

[roccerfeller]

^ Ha, interesting. I was wondering about that too!

[RTD]

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/bus...103031579.html

[Boreal]

That will undoubtedly brush smiles across the faces of many. Good for the local scene.

[Biff]

I was told by someone who was involved in the first round of bringing H&M to Winnipeg is that they are holding out to be located in the new IKEA development.

They will be here.

[Boreal]

That doesn't come as much of a surprise to me. The IKEA development - and for that matter, the entire Kenaston retail node will make a giant push to rival the Polo Park area as Winnipeg's pre-eminent retail destination. Oddly enough, they are only about a 10 to 15 minute drive apart from each other.

I'm not concerned about Polo Park taking a hit, in terms of market share (though I imagine they will lose slightly at first), but all of the secondary and tertiary centres, such as Grant Park and perhaps even St. Vital Centre that could end up taking it in the glasses as a result of Polo Park and Kenaston going toe-to-toe to attract the most desirable retailers.

[JayM]

Kenaston and Bishop, a nice stretch of road linking St. Vital C.S., Power Centre @ Kenaston/Sterling Lyon then on to Polo Park S.C.

[vid]

There was opposition to nearby power centres by our local mall but in the end, a lot of people will go between the three major retail centres, instead of getting everything in one retail centre if they were all spread out, so it kind of worked out good for the mall. (And the city, since all of our big box retail is now in one area.) Fifteen minutes probably isn't too far for someone to go to a store at Polo Park then drive down to Ikea or H&M to do more shopping. If it the Ikea development was located near Transcona, they'd just get everything in the one place and ignore the existence of the other. In that respect, it benefits the mall. You also have to consider that a store like Ikea will draw people from Ontario and Saskatchewan who wouldn't have otherwise made the trip there and they'll probably check out nearby shopping areas as well.

It's just like a downtown. The more attractions in the area, the more people go there, therefore more potential customers.

[RTD]

Supermarket slated for old arena site
By ROSS ROMANIUK, Winnipeg Sun

September 23, 2010


The site of the long-gone Winnipeg Arena will see an Asian supermarket spring up by the end of next year, the property’s developer says.

Shindico Inc. plans to begin building the 45,000-square-foot food market late this year and have it ready to open by late 2011 as the retail anchor of a wider 200,000-square-foot commercial development at the site between Maroons Road and Rapelje Avenue, development manager Bob Downs told the Winnipeg Sun on Thursday.

Downs declined to name the market, saying only that it’s a company that will be new to Winnipeg.

Radio station CJOB, meanwhile, is among the future tenants of the existing former CTV studios at the south end of the site.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I have a real hunch that this will be T&T Supermarket, who have been looking to gain a foothold into Winnipeg's fast growing Asian market for a few years now.

[bryanscott]

Originally Posted by RTD

I have a real hunch that this will be T&T Supermarket, who have been looking to gain a foothold into Winnipeg's fast growing Asian market for a few years now.

Nail in Chinatown's coffin, I wonder?

[RTD]

Originally Posted by bryanscott

Nail in Chinatown's coffin, I wonder?

That is what they were predicting for Edmonton's and Ottawa's Chinatown when T&T came to down, but yet they are still very much thriving. Chances are the Chinese community itself will be the deciding factor in the survival of Chinatown.

[Mininari]

Originally Posted by RTD

Supermarket slated for old arena site
By ROSS ROMANIUK, Winnipeg Sun

September 23, 2010


The site of the long-gone Winnipeg Arena will see an Asian supermarket spring up by the end of next year, the property’s developer says.

Shindico Inc. plans to begin building the 45,000-square-foot food market late this year and have it ready to open by late 2011 as the retail anchor of a wider 200,000-square-foot commercial development at the site between Maroons Road and Rapelje Avenue, development manager Bob Downs told the Winnipeg Sun on Thursday.

Downs declined to name the market, saying only that it’s a company that will be new to Winnipeg.

Radio station CJOB, meanwhile, is among the future tenants of the existing former CTV studios at the south end of the site.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I have a real hunch that this will be T&T Supermarket, who have been looking to gain a foothold into Winnipeg's fast growing Asian market for a few years now.

Yes, me too! T&T is a great west-coast, Canadian-born, Asian superstore. Nothing against Lucky at all, but it will be good to have a T&T here, and the location is great. I imagine parking will be integrated with Polo Park's, so that might get a bit hairy at the peak shopping periods throughout the year... still, this will be a great addition to the city.

If, in fact, it IS T&T.
However, "asian supermarket" and "new to Winnipeg" screams T&T to me.

H&M holding out for IKEA makes sense too... I'm really curious to know which other "new" retailers might be interested in joining IKEA. Its a no-brainer to gain a foothold in the city beside a MAJOR retail traffic magnet.

On another note, Is London Drugs ever going to open another Winnipeg Location? Polo Park perhaps? Or perhaps by IKEA?

[JayM]

Originally Posted by Mininari

Yes, me too! T&T is a great west-coast, Canadian-born, Asian superstore. Nothing against Lucky at all, but it will be good to have a T&T here, and the location is great. I imagine parking will be integrated with Polo Park's, so that might get a bit hairy at the peak shopping periods throughout the year... still, this will be a great addition to the city.

If, in fact, it IS T&T.
However, "asian supermarket" and "new to Winnipeg" screams T&T to me.

H&M holding out for IKEA makes sense too... I'm really curious to know which other "new" retailers might be interested in joining IKEA. Its a no-brainer to gain a foothold in the city beside a MAJOR retail traffic magnet.

On another note, Is London Drugs ever going to open another Winnipeg Location? Polo Park perhaps? Or perhaps by IKEA?

London Drugs is a funny company. One single location in Winnipeg. They really need to expand into the Polo Park region or even KP. No one just singles out and says hey lets all goto London Drugs in St. Vital when we live in north side or far west side.

[Kinguni]

Originally Posted by JayM

LNo one just singles out and says hey lets all goto London Drugs in St. Vital when we live in north side or far west side.

The only reason I've gone to St. Vital Centre in the last 10 years is to go to London Drugs (I live far west Charleswood). I think I've gone there twice.

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by Kinguni

The only reason I've gone to St. Vital Centre in the last 10 years is to go to London Drugs (I live far west Charleswood). I think I've gone there twice.

yea same reason here